Art of Love
by show.me.the.stars
Summary: Cause I’m still learning the art of love . I’m still trying to not mess up. So whenever I stumble let me know... --NarutoSakura.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own NARUTO, neither do I own "Art of Love" sung by Guy Sebastian and Jordin Sparks. I only borrowed the lyrics and the characters for some fun. ;)

**Author's Note:** Those who aren't up-to-date with the latest Naruto chapters, this fic contains spoilers from chapters 469 and 470. Just a warning~ :D

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**Art of Love.**

_I'm saying sorry in advance cos this won't always go to plan  
Though we don't mean to take our love for granted  
It's in our nature to forget what matters  
How when the going is getting tough  
And we're all about giving up_

'We're asking for your permission, Sakura.'

Shikamaru's drawling voice once more reverberated in Sakura's mind as she stared at her forever determined blond teammate, tanned nose bright red from the bitter cold of the Land of Iron.

"I want to help Sasuke."

Stomping on Kiba's foot when he whispered whether or not Sakura should just give up her farce and tell Naruto the truth, Sakura turned swiftly, barking out orders and ignoring Kiba's whine from the ground beside her. "I'm going home! Let's go! Kiba! Lee! Sai!"

She stood tall and stormed away from Naruto, ignoring the wet heat that burned behind her eyelids as her "team" followed dutifully.

'Naruto...' She was fighting a losing battle, and she knew it. 'I'm sorry.'

_Things that we never thought we'd gonna say, gonna say them  
Things that we never thought we'd play, gonna play them  
It ain't perfect, but it's worth it  
And it's always getting better  
It's gonna take some time to get it right _

"Are you sure about this, Sakura?" Kiba's rough voice spoke once more as soon as they were out of earshot of the abandoned Naruto, and swallowing thickly Sakura paused in her movement.

"Kiba, I have a favour to ask." She turned to face the wild dark haired Chuunin, expressionless at the boys slight surprise.

"What is it?" Kiba asked, curious.

Her voice was hard. Like steel, strong and unyielding. "I'm going to look for Sasuke!" Emeralds glittered. Her jaw set. "And I need your help."

She was going to set this right.

_Cause I'm still learning the art of love  
I'm still trying to not mess up  
So whenever I stumble let me know  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out for me  
Cause I'm still trying to learn the art of love _

She would do this for him.

She had failed him once.

No, more than once.

She would never fail him again.

_If I forget to get the door  
Remind you that you're beautiful  
I know my detail requires more attention  
If I ever hurt you it's not my intention  
Cause we're gonna make our mistakes  
Find out how much your heart can take  
But I know that you got my back  
And baby I got yours  
_

Uzumaki Naruto had always supported her even when she had continuously slandered him.

She had hit him, had teased him.

Had ignored him.

Everything about him irritated her.

His boisterous attitude, his raspy voice, his glaring choice in fashion. His naivety. Stupidity.

His clear _talent_.

He was wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong.

_Wrong._

He was a walking, talking abomination.

And yet despite it all, despite her less-than-welcome (more like _decidedly_-unwelcome) behaviour he would continuously greet her with a grin brighter than any sun, overwhelmed her with more words of encouragement than anybody had before him...and had shown more love than what she had deserved.

At first he had irritated her.

But then that irritation faded away.

He accomplished feats beyond that she had ever imagined.

He made people believe in the world again.

He made people _love_.

He created change.

Sure, he was an idiot (hell, nobody could deny that), but he was _her_ idiot.

And just as he always _always_ had her back--it didn't take long for her to realise that she had his too.

_Cause I'm still learning the art of love  
I'm still trying to not mess up  
So whenever I stumble let me know  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out for me  
Cause I'm still trying to learn the art of love _

She had thought she knew what love was once.

Uchiha Sasuke--what she felt for him she _knew_ was love.

She had readily admitted to herself that without hesitation she would die for him. She would give up everything for him.

Her family, her friends, her comrades, her village--she would walk the ends of the earth for this boy--the boy with hair as black as midnight and eyes as red as spilled blood.

The boy with the confident swagger, the boy whose smiles (so very rare) would make her blood pump and eyes swell with unshed tears--he was perfect.

Tortured, but perfect.

She would heal him, she had vowed.

She would be the one to save him.

Make him happy again.

Make him smile wholly at her for once.

She knew she would do it.

_Sometimes I'm gonna miss  
I'm still learning how to give  
I'm not giving up  
I'm still learning how to love  
Learning how to love…  
Learning how to love_

He was leaving her that night, she knew.

She waited by the gates, waited for him, hoped and prayed that she was wrong. That Sasuke wasn't going to do this.

But then he appeared.

Bag slung against his back, if it weren't for the fact that it was in the middle of the night and he was all alone one would expect he was going on a late night mission.

But there were no teammates with him.

No boisterous blond, flirty pinkette and their perverted Jounin-sensei.

He was all alone.

So then she tried to stop him.

Regardless of Sakura's pleas to take her with him, her tears, her threats, her confession...

Uchiha Sasuke knocked her out and left her on a park bench.

Leaving Konohagakure, leaving their village, their home, their comrades, their friends, their team, their _family_...

Leaving _her_ behind.

_Cause I'm still learning the art of love  
I'm still trying to not mess up  
So whenever I stumble let me know  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out  
You need to spell it out for me  
Cause I'm still trying to learn the art of love  
(The art of love) _

Sakura didn't know what to say to him back then as he sat in the hospital bed, swathed in bandages and whispering apologies. His head was bowed. Sapphires glittered with unshed tears. His voice was clogged--he was trying _so_ hard not to break.

The boy in the bed wasn't Uzumaki Naruto.

He wasn't the bright, obnoxious boy who could make her smile with a lame joke, he wasn't the boy that saved her life _so_ many times.

He wasn't the boy she had grown to love for himself.

She had just lost Sasuke.

Her heart was torn from her chest.

Uchiha Sasuke had stolen her heart from her, and thought that she would never get it back.

But watching Naruto, by watching his desperation, his promises and his determination--though Sasuke wasn't back home--even though he may never come back--Naruto had in his hands had returned something far more important to Sakura, though she didn't know it then. And it would take years and life-altering experiences, laughter, tears, more promises until Sakura realised just what Naruto had brought back.

_Still learning (art of love)  
Still learning (art of love)  
Still learning (art of love)  
Still trying to learn the art of love  
Still learning, I'm still learning (art of love)  
Still learning (art of love)  
I'm gonna get it sometimes, cause I'm still learning  
Still learning (art of love)  
Still learning (art of love)  
Still learning (art of love)  
The art art of love_

Kiba was in the lead riding Akamaru, Lee was running effortlessly to her left and Sai was just behind.

Though Sakura believed that this may be it--that this would be her last fight she was determined that she wouldn't die alone.

She would not be the only member of Team 7 to die today--not without a fight.

She would protect Naruto from that monster--that monster had once bound her heart with bleeding ribbon and ripped it from her chest--she would _not_ fail Naruto this time.

Though she felt pain like no other at the thought of leaving him behind Sakura knew there was no other way.

She had made so many mistakes.

More than she could possibly count.

But if this final act would bring her peace of mind--would earn her his forgiveness she would do it.

She would die for him.

Die to keep him safe.

Keep him happy.

The tears finally came as Sakura ran head-first into a maelstrom of icy-fire, into the bitter cold of the world around her--ran headfirst into her fate and into him.

Dark eyes widened in slight surprise before they bled into Sharingan, a smirk tugging at his still-handsome features.

"Sakura."

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**End Note:** My first ever attempt at a song fic and actually a long time in general since I've written _any_ fanfiction! ...Uhm...yeah. I heard this song on MTV last night, and as soon as I heard the lyrics I was like: "OMFG this is NaruSaku right here", so I just had to write something. Even though my skills feel pretty rusty I hope you enjoyed. :)


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